Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

• Luka Dončić Has the Lakers In "Win Now" Mode? Plus... More Ballmer/Kawhi/Clippers Mess!

  Luka Dončić dominated Eurobasket, leading an undermanned Slovenia to the Round of 8. That performance, along with everything else we've seen in the Summer of Luka, might have been enough to get the Lakers to change their long-term plans. Or at least change the way they do PR around their long term plans. Dan Woike of The Athletic writes that the Lakers, who had been reportedly very, very protective of their cap flexibility going forward into next summer and even the summer of 2027, could be tempted by the right deal to acquire a player who would eat into that space. It would be a defensive-minded wing. And right now, the only player who meets that criteria and is seen as available is Miami's Andrew Wiggins. Would Wiggins, who has an option for about $30 mil next season he'll almost certainly exercise, give the Lakers enough of a push to make it worth giving up not just a first rounder and Dalton Knecht, but likely Rui Hachimura, too? From there... woah Nellie, is Steve Ballmer in hot water. Pablo Torre followed up on his initial reporting about a potential cap circumvention involving Kawhi Leonard with another big story, this time linking payments to a Clippers sponsor and payments to Kawhi in ways that seem a lot more tangible (not that the initial volley of news wasn't pretty damning in and of itself). How much evidence does the NBA need in order to feel comfortable dispensing justice? How much more is coming out? HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: Did Luka get the Lakers to change their plan?  SEGMENT 2: What about Wiggins?  SEGMENT 3: Ballmer is neck deep now...  Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!5-Hour ENERGYTee up that trip! Enter for a chance to win a dream golf trip for two to any golf tournament* in the USA. Visit 5HEWIN.com for full rules and entry. No purchase necessary. Excludes the Master’s tournament. Ends October 31, 2025.Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNBA at monarchmoney.com/lockedonnba for 50% off your first yearFanDuelRight now, new customers can bet just FIVE dollars and if your bet wins—you’ll get THREE HUNDRED dollars in bonus bets to use across the app. Download the FanDuel app now by visiting FanDuel.comto get startedFANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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• Luka Dončić Dominates Again, but Slovenia Is Eliminated... Plus, When Will LeBron Retire?

  He did all he could throughout the Eurobasket tournament, elevating a group of scrappy but under-talented Slovenians to the quarterfinals, but finally Luka Dončić could take them no further. 99-91, Germany prevails, despite a 39-point, 10 rebound, seven assist game from Luka. He went as the best player on the floor, as has been the case throughout. Dončić even made noise defensively, to the point of being nominated for the tourney's defensive player award. It was as positive experience as could have been asked for, in what continues to be the most positive summer anyone could have drawn up. Luka built incredible momentum towards the regular season. He played extremely well. He didn't get hurt. And all of this will help the Lakers enter the season with just a little more confidence and swagger. Teams benefit from knowing every night they have a truly transcendent star on their team, a guy whose mere presence gives them an excellent chance at victory. Luka is that guy. And they still have LeBron, too, who has a little cache in that area, as well. Finally, this from Brian Windhorst on ESPN's Hoop Collective podcast: "Now, as far as LeBron's future—I know there's a lot of speculation," Windhorst said. "Based on my conversations, I honestly think they don't know. As far as I know, he's honestly going year to year. Could this be his last year? Yes. Will it be his last year? I don't know. Does he know right now? Maybe. But my interpretation is that it has not been established. He will see where he's at at the end of the year."Does that mean the Lakers are sort of flying blind? Is LeBron, in a way? What about a retirement tour? Does how the team is performing have an impact on all of this?  HOSTS: Andy and Brian KamenetzkySEGMENT 1: Luka again dominates, but Slovenia eliminated.  SEGMENT 2: What's next for Dončić?  SEGMENT 3: When will LeBron hang 'em up?  Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!5-Hour ENERGYTee up that trip! Enter for a chance to win a dream golf trip for two to any golf tournament* in the USA. Visit 5HEWIN.com for full rules and entry. No purchase necessary. Excludes the Master’s tournament. Ends October 31, 2025.Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNBA at monarchmoney.com/lockedonnba for 50% off your first yearFanDuelRight now, new customers can bet just FIVE dollars and if your bet wins—you’ll get THREE HUNDRED dollars in bonus bets to use across the app. Download the FanDuel app now by visiting FanDuel.comto get startedFANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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• What the Locked On Top 100 Reveals About the Lakers In the Western Conference

  The Lakers have three players in the Locked On rankings of the top 100 NBA players. Luka Dončić (4), LeBron James (12) and Austin Reaves (58). They're the only team with an ultra elite player in Luka, and a (basically) top 10 guy in LeBron. Add in Reaves, and it's not a bad core. But how does that compare to the rest of the conference? Do the Lakers have similar balance to the competition, even if their talent at the very top might be better? How much two way talent do they have, even with the additions of Marcus Smart and an improvement at center in Deandre Ayton? Compare that to OKC, who has a host of legitimate two way guys, the Nuggets, who feature a few names on the list, all of whom (save Jamal Murray) can play on both sides of the ball. Houston was a great defensive team last year, and even after moving Dillon Brooks should be once again this season. So what kind of roster balance do the Lakers have? What's the relative advantage with fit vs. overall talent? How much of both do the Lakers have relative to the competition?  HOSTS: Andy and Brian KamenetzkySEGMENT 1: Three in the Top 100! SEGMENT 2: What kind of balance do the Lakers have?  SEGMENT 3: How does what the Lakers have match up with the rest of the conference?  Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!5-Hour ENERGYTee up that trip! Enter for a chance to win a dream golf trip for two to any golf tournament* in the USA. Visit 5HEWIN.com for full rules and entry. No purchase necessary. Excludes the Master’s tournament. Ends October 31, 2025.Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNBA at monarchmoney.com/lockedonnba for 50% off your first yearFanDuelRight now, new customers can bet just FIVE dollars and if your bet wins—you’ll get THREE HUNDRED dollars in bonus bets to use across the app. Download the FanDuel app now by visiting FanDuel.comto get startedFANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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• Luka Dončić 4th, LeBron James 12th and Austin Reaves 58th in Locked On Top 100

  Player rankings can be an irritating exercise, because in most ways theres rarely much functional difference between the 13th and 14th best player in the league, and certainly not the 73rd and 74th. What can be meaningful, however, are player tiers. Guys can be grouped together in ways that make a little more sense in terms of impact. There are God-level stars, and regular stars. There are All-Stars and near-All-Stars. So as the season creeps towards us, the Locked On Network has put together its list of the best 100 players in the NBA. Three Lakers make the cut. (You can guess which ones...) -Luka Dončić, 4th. -LeBron James, 12th. -Austin Reaves, 58th. Luka is up in the super-elite group with Jokic, Shai and Giannis. LeBron is in that next tier down (for what it's worth, your hosts both had him in the top 10). And there's something special about that über-elite level guy that can cover a lot of sins. The Lakers are the only team to have someone at that level, plus another at LeBron's. Add in Austin Reaves at 58 and LA has a good amount of representation. But is it the right kind? Is it distributed as needed, from a skill set standpoint? Does it really matter, when the two guys headlining the thing are Luka and LeBron? Meanwhile, the Lakers have added guys who wouldn't be that far outside the top 100 in Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart, and have Rui Hachimura, who has developed into a very reliable frontcourt shooter. All Stars? No, but in Ayton and Smart the Lakers are making major upgrades over what they had last year. So put it all together, and can you say the Lakers might be a little underrated?  HOSTS: Andy and Brian KamenetzkySEGMENT 1: The Lakers get three guys in the Locked On Top 100. SEGMENT 2: What it means to have Luka and LeBron.  SEGMENT 3: Are the Lakers underrated?  Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!5-Hour ENERGYTee up that trip! Enter for a chance to win a dream golf trip for two to any golf tournament* in the USA. Visit 5HEWIN.com for full rules and entry. No purchase necessary. Excludes the Master’s tournament. Ends October 31, 2025.Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNBA at monarchmoney.com/lockedonnba for 50% off your first yearFanDuelRight now, new customers can bet just FIVE dollars and if your bet wins—you’ll get THREE HUNDRED dollars in bonus bets to use across the app. Download the FanDuel app now by visiting FanDuel.comto get startedFANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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• Luka Dončić Pushes Slovenia Past Italy, Continues Fueling Hype Around the "Luka Era" for the Lakers

  Luka Dončić has gotten progressively better game to game throughout Eurobasket, helping Slovenia get on a hot streak. Sunday against Italy in the Round of 16, Luka put in his best effort of the competition, finishing with 42 points, 10 rebounds and three steals. He throttled the Italians, basically accounting for half of Slovenia's offense. He continued drawing fouls, getting to the line 16 times. All in all, his performance is ramping up as the tourney goes along, and he gets more comfortable and gets more minutes under his belt. Even as the competition gets more intense and the quality rises. All of this contributes to add to the "Summer of Luka," and while Lakers fans obviously can't project with precision how Luka's performance for Slovenia will carry through into the regular season (not that they won't try), one thing that is unquestionably true: Everything that's happened this offseason is a) likely beyond the best case scenario envisioned by Lakers management for the summer, and b) increasing the already incredibly high level of anticipation about his presence on the team. In many ways, it reinforces the notion that the Luka Era really began at the end of last season, not necessarily when he was traded to the Lakers. Meanwhile, the Basketball HOF had its induction ceremony over the weekend, and Dwight Howard was there as a first-ballot HOFer. Why does that seem to surprise and anger a certain element of the fan base?  HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: Luka lights up Italy.  SEGMENT 2: How this impacts the dawn of the Luka Era in LA. SEGMENT 3: Why is there resistance to Dwight Howard in getting in the HOF first ballot?  Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!5-Hour ENERGYTee up that trip! Enter for a chance to win a dream golf trip for two to any golf tournament* in the USA. Visit 5HEWIN.com for full rules and entry. No purchase necessary. Excludes the Master’s tournament. Ends October 31, 2025.Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNBA at monarchmoney.com/lockedonnba for 50% off your first yearFanDuelRight now, new customers can bet just FIVE dollars and if your bet wins—you’ll get THREE HUNDRED dollars in bonus bets to use across the app. Download the FanDuel app now by visiting FanDuel.comto get startedFANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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